U2 . HiNDF RELIGION; 



flance: coiineHed with this llrange- ftory-'. Were tliis the place^ 

 msny other curious exampk^ in illullration of this charader* 

 migkt be adduced j and this is the refult of our own fhort ex=»- 

 .periancc of theie people. The natives of Bali^ thougb I am kfs ac* 



quainrcd'with- them, lean venture fo fay partake much of the fame 

 difpoiiaon. It may be alked then, how it has come ro pafs, thatj . 

 while farrounded by Mahomedan fribeSj they have refifled the intro- - 

 du6lion of the Mahomedan Tt\\giQu,{o fuccefsfully and eafilypro*- 

 pagated am©ng the- great population, of '^i?<2.'^ This, I imagine, is to be 

 afcribed greatly, to the many reiugees from the laft iflind, who toolc 

 flielter there on the eflablifhment of the Mahomeddn religion, and ^ t& 

 the difgu-O: naturally' incident to an-unfueeefsful attempt on the :nationai ■ 

 •religion, whichis -knowa to have been mad-e about the peirod of the 

 converfion of the furroiindiog . tribes. But perhaps^ above all tbefe 

 caulesj it may be afcribed to the powerful oppoiition 'which it is reafon- 

 able to conclude, the intelligence, ,art^ and.-experiance of the colony of 

 Mrahm&ns, then fo recently, arrived from. Jndia^ would make to the m^- 

 Irigues of the ilf^A(?m6/a^^7i miflionaries »t Hven at prefent the Balmefe 

 are more pertinacious, and guarded on fuch points than I oould have 

 expedledto iind. them, judging only by exDcrience of their neighbours,-. 



The elder Raja of B'.elling, whom I have fo often' mentioned, having' 

 requefted me by letter to fend him iomc Jdvanefd books ; I tranfmitted 

 among others a Mahomeddn theological treatife, tranftated from- the jira- 

 bic, called '' t^n.Q Mftory of allth'e prophets."' He returned it to me by 



the firfi; opportunity with the following ■civil' and cautious, but very 

 intelligible reply. " The fub]e£i of the b'ook which -mj friend has 

 fent me,'' fays the Raja. " is of s very weighty nature I even fear to 



* The population oi" Java faid to exceed four iniUjons^ couihiuies pivfcwbiy the rorfl numerous Mtive 

 finite that ever exUled. iu ittc louthesn hcmifj here, FouicSiS'shs >'f.;tiefe i'pe. k die fame language, 



+ Bali mears to re 'urn » to h\\ back ; ,a name given so <he ifl mdf it is fiJidj by the' Mahomtdan %t^)ot<, 

 wh(i> actfmptfcl its cotweifiott I in aflulion lo ihe peopk haling cla^fed jsajii iv>;^fl//i/'w, afiss once cmbtacinjj 



ahe faith of Makatned. 



